


Keep Me Grounded

by pajama_cats



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-23 18:28:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16164434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pajama_cats/pseuds/pajama_cats
Summary: With Shaun being conflicted by his emotions he finds that it’s comforting to lean on Neil.





	Keep Me Grounded

There were so many emotions, so many questions in his head it was almost hard to even  _ think.  _ Of course logically he could, he had his work to attend to and he can’t just abandon any of the patients, but even Shaun knows he has a limit to how much he can handle.    
  
But again there’s a limit to how much he can handle and how he needs to take time to comprehend all of the newfound emotions he’s been feeling lately. With Dr. Glassman’s surgery coming up and then Lea of all people coming back into his life. It just.   
  
To him it just didn’t make any sense. He couldn’t understand why, or what made her think everything would be okay. How could he be happy? Everyone in his life that he cared for who left never came back. Except her.    
  
As hurt as it made him feel it was better that way, wasn’t it? It hurt when she announced she was leaving and it didn’t stop there, however..    
  
Despite that he still had Neil. No  _ has  _ Neil. He has Claire, he has Glassman, and for a brief time he had Jared. 

No one really seemed to notice his distress except Claire who was the first to pick up on it. There was a brief talk and then she had seen Lea, but she also saw how he reacted to know that he was not happy. He’s not even sure if Neil knows about it either, but maybe it was starting to get obvious how Shaun didn’t want to go back to his own apartment and the fact that he was getting up earlier than usual. Work was a good distraction, but distractions can only last for so long.    
  
And it was even worse when you had no distractions. Anytime he was near her, or thought about her Shaun’s mind was in a turmoil.    
  
So he didn’t think it was that helpful when Neil suggested that he should take a day off to relax. He was fine with work. It kept him grounded, it made his mind focus on anything but her.    
  
However when Neil didn’t give up the idea a compromise was made. 

Which is how Shaun found himself lying comfortably in bed with Neil on their day off. Though Neil was more comfortable with the arm secured gently around Shaun’s waist. Shaun would rather be up, but he knows by now that Neil doesn’t like when he leaves the bed to get ready for the day.    
  
But he doesn’t really have anything to get up for now to begin with.    
  
So Shaun remains to lay there, staring at the closed blinds and counting the slats on it. It’s not the first time, nor the last but it gives him something to do. Sort of.    
  
Not that Neil would admit it, but he was more of the.. Hugger in the relationship. Claire seemed pleased when she found out that Neil liked to cuddle, but Neil struggled with embarrassment when the nurse’s station found out about it. 

And like now it was always when the arm around him tightened it meant Neil was regaining consciousness.   
  
“..Morning, Shaun.” The words came out muffled with Neil nuzzling his face against the back of Shaun’s neck. The action made Shaun heat up slightly and he hesitated on where to put his hands before finally placing them on top of the arm around his waist.   
  
“Good morning, Neil.” He feels Neil place gentle butterfly kisses on his neck before he finally lets go of Shaun and shifts to be facing the ceiling.   
  
“You didn’t sleep in again? Aren’t you tired?” Neil begins to sit up in their bed, shoulders against the headboard and Shaun follows his actions while sparing Neil a glance.   
  
“No.” Is all he has to say. He got the right amount of rest and his sleep pattern is used to it by now. Not being late for work is the only upside to the whole situation.   
  
Neil lets out a sigh, running a hand through his hair that barely looks like it got messy through the night. Having bed head doesn’t come easy for him, and it doesn’t stop him from almost always commenting on Shaun’s own messy hair.   
  
“I know it’s pretty early in the morning for this, but..” Neil pauses as if he were choosing his words carefully. “I’ve been informed that Lea is back.”   
  
No. No, he didn’t want to talk about this, he didn’t want to _think_ about this.   
  
“She is.” Shaun says slowly finding it hard to look at Neil, his clasped hands now undone.   
  
“That’s why you’ve been working more hard than usual and avoiding your place.” It’s not really a question, more like an obvious statement. So Shaun simply remains silent.   
  
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Neil asks quietly and there’s a brief moment where Shaun’s fidgeting hands come to stop when Neil place’s a hand over his right hand.   
  
“I don’t know how to feel.” Shaun says after a beat of silence. It’s sincere and he’s finally able to look at Neil when he says it.   
  
“I’m taking it that you aren’t happy about it?” Neil raises an eyebrow.   
  
“I am not.” Shaun is quick to respond this time. “She wasn’t supposed to come back- no one ever comes back, _why_ did she come back?” Shaun’s breathing begins to speed up. Not this again, not today.  
  
“Shaun- Shaun listen to me. It’s going to be okay.” Neil says firmly, squeezing Shaun’s hand reassuringly. There’s a few seconds when he lets go of the hand, something Shaun doesn’t want to happen, but it’s forgotten when Neil is done reaching over him and places his cherished toy scalpel in his hand.   
  
“I don’t know why either. But whatever happens you’re not alone, I’m here for you Shaun.” Neil wraps his arm around Shaun’s shoulders, bringing the younger surgeon close enough for him to lean his head against Neil’s shoulder.   
  
“I don’t want to see her.” Shaun says quietly. It was too painful right now. Or would it always be that way?   
  
“I think you might have to face the music on that and see her eventually, but..” Neil pauses to press a soft kiss on Shaun’s forehead. “You go at your own pace. No rushing your emotions, okay?” Neil asks softly to which Shaun stares down at his scalpel silently before he manages a nod.   
  
“Can I stay with you for awhile?” For now that’s all he wants, it’s the only comforting thing for his mental state.  
  
“You can stay for as long as you want. Though it’s probably pretty hard getting away from my grip.” Neil smiles, running a hand through Shaun’s hair which makes him duck his head in the process.   
  
“You are fond of cuddling me.” That gets some soft laughter from Neil and Shaun feels like he can finally breathe easy for once during this hectic week.  
  
Shaun’s not sure how the future will play out, but as long as he’s with Neil everything was okay.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks season 2 for all these feelings 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
